Kona couple accused of illegal restraint, nonsupport of teen

A Kailua-Kona couple is accused of illegally restraining a minor last month.

Alexander Aquino, 47, and Amy Aquino, 37, are charged with first-degree unlawful imprisonment of a minor and persistent nonsupport.

The victim is a 14-year-old, according to court documents, which provided few other details.

County Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen said in a Tuesday statement the charges are “related to a chain of events that occurred last month.”

The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges Friday in Kona Circuit Court and were ordered by Judge Wendy DeWeese to appear at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 1 for a jury trial.

Both were granted court-supervised release without monetary bail which, Waltjen said, was done over the objection of the prosecutor handling the case.

First-degree unlawful imprisonment is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, and persistent nonsupport is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.

Persistent nonsupport is failure to provide food, shelter, clothing, education or other necessary care as determined by law.